Ron's Catch: Night Fishing Big Bass
Now that the summer heat is here to stay, it’s time to think about night fishing.
When temperatures hit 110-115 degrees in the desert, water surface temperatures can quickly reach or exceed the low 90s during the daytime. It may be nice for a swim, but from my experience once the sun hits the water, fish activity drops off tremendously and not worth battling the heat. If you don’t mind roasting in the sun then I guess fishing during the day is an option, but it’s usually an unproductive one.
Once the sun hits the water Bass tend to head to deeper cooler waters to chill out and then remain mostly inactive and sluggish for most of the day. This does not mean you cannot catch them; it just may require a lot of time fighting the heat with little reward for braving the elements all day. Therefore, many anglers prefer to chase bass in the evenings which has been very popular among local tournament anglers as well. Not only is it more enjoyable to have the sun off your back, but the fishing activity ramps up once the sun sets, and the water starts to cool off from the scorching sun. Bass will begin to move back into their key feeding areas in search of a meal and fishing can be very good. Some of my biggest bass have come in the late evening hours, but it is important to remember to make repeated casts and fish slower. Targeting bass at night is very similar to the day, so I like to focus on points, drop offs and weed edges where I think bass will move up first to feed.
I recommend heading out once sun drops behind the mountains and fishing from sundown to 1 in the morning. That time normally proves to produce the best, but if you do decide to pull an all-nighter, fishing can be very good the last hour or so before the sun hits the water once again.
Some of the lures that have become staples during the evening are Big Crankbaits, Spinnerbaits, Buzzbaits, and Topwater Lures, as well as Large Plastic Worms or Jigs. Remember, fish do have very keen senses, but they cannot see as well at night compared to the day. The variety of lures I choose displace water and make noise which help bass locate them as potential prey once they are on the hunt.
Give yourself a break from the heat and try fishing at night as I am sure it will make for more enjoyable fishing adventures this summer.
Stop in your local Shoppers Supply stores to pick up these lures before you head out on your next evening fishing adventure.
Good Luck!